Fingerprints
by kittenxxkisses
Summary: When a naval officer is murdered, the prime suspect of NCIS Special Agent Gibbs and his team is dhampir Rose Hathaway. But is the murder really all that it seems? And if Rose isn't guilty, then who is? rosemitri/tiva/mcabby/multichap
1. Not Possible

**[A/N]** Hey there. Okay, this idea just popped into my head the other day. These are probably my two favourite stories right now, so this idea just came naturally. Give it a shot, see how you like it :)

This is set after SK, but Dimitri was never turned...so the time frame is the same as when SK ends. The NCIS part is set after S703 - Inside Man. I just loved the ending of that episode so I decided to base it after that.

Enjoy:

* * *

She snuck around the side of the ship, sheathed in darkness. The long silver knife hung on her waist. The wind whistled through her long hair, drawing attention to herself.

She scampered up the short ladder, trying to avoid detection. On the upper deck, she paused and surveyed her surroundings. Perfect. Her target was just coming into view, strolling out of a room below, slightly drunk. Her eyes zeroed in on the nearly-empty beer bottle in his hand. Probably not his first.

Making sure he was alone, she jumped stealthily off the deck. The man's eyes widened as she approached, and a sloppy grin crossed his face. She grimaced. Of course he'd notice her looks. She hadn't bothered to hide her looks. It wasn't necessary.

She drew the knife from her black belt. The man clumsily staggered back as she approached. She slapped a hand over his mouth, warning him with her eyes not to scream. He sagged in defeat. Unluckily for him, there was a party going on. They wouldn't hear a thing.

She admired the wicked gleam of the blade in the moonlight. Faint crimson stains ghostly covered the blade, showing the work of its past. She stepped behind him, keeping her hand over his mouth, placing the edge of the knife at his neck. Without pausing to think, she sliced his throat. His muscles tightened with the scream that wouldn't come.

As she watched the body thud to the ground, she stared with horror at what she had just done. Letting the blade clatter to the floor, she shoved her ungloved hands into her pockets and quickly walked away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, diving off the side of the ship.

* * *

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat in his basement, sanding the skeleton of a boat that sat on his table. The dim golden light reflected on the unfinished boat, causing the pieces of wood to glow like golden whale bones.

He sipped his Starbucks, sighing in content. He had signed the papers yesterday that deemed ex-Mossad officer Ziva David one of his team, an NCIS Special Agent. He grinned at the thought that she was legally a part of the team.

His phone buzzed on his table. He sighed and reached for it. Could he not receive some peace in his basement? Especially after their previous case – there had been a lot of drama with that one.

He flipped the phone open lazily. There was a missed call from an unknown number. He frowned, puzzled. Who would have his number? He wasn't one to post it publicly, and the few that had his number were ones that he had as well.

He couldn't be bothered to go to the NCIS base and trace the call, so he did what any curious person would do. He called the number back.

"Hello?" asked a frantic voice. Gibbs' frown deepened.

"Yes," he answered. "This is NCIS Special Agent Gibbs. How may I help y–"

He was cut off by a relieved shriek. "Special Agent Gibbs! Thank god!"

"Who is this?" he asked. What did this person need him for?

"Lieutenant Marshall aboard the Mary-Anne. Agent Gibbs, there's been a murder on our boat."

Gibbs sighed. Not another case? "We'll be there," he said, hanging up. He grabbed his car-keys and headed to base, annoyed.

* * *

"So, what were you doing last night, McGee?" asked Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo Junior, typing aimlessly on his computer. He was so bored with nothing to do. Work was always like this, he decided. Unless there was a case, it was utterly boring. Of course, annoying the hell out of McGee was a good pastime.

Special Agent Timothy McGee sighed. He would have retaken his polygraph test, but since Gibbs told him not to, he had gone home, watched some TV, had a light dinner and gone to bed. Oh, and he'd read up on which computer was the most popular these days. But he wasn't going to tell Tony any of this. He didn't need any new material.

"Nothing interesting," he said vaguely, trying to dodge the question.

Just then, Ziva walked into the room. Tony noticed the slightly different badge on Ziva's belt. "Ziva," he asked, curiosity coloring his voice, "what is _that_?" It couldn't be what he thought it was.

"What is what?" asked Ziva. Tony noticed that she seemed slightly happier than usual.

"That _badge_," said Tony. "You didn't steal it, did you?"

She laughed. "Gibbs signed the papers yesterday. I am now an official NCIS Special Agent." She smiled, happy to finally feel a part of the team. No one could take that away from her now.

Forensic specialist Abigail Sciuto stepped out of the lift. "Did I hear correctly, Ziva?" she asked, grinning. "Are you now one of us?"

"Yes," said Ziva.

Abby squealed and tackled her teammate. "I'm so _happy_ for you," she shrieked, hugging her tightly. Ziva smiled at the younger girl's easy acceptance.

McGee looked up from his desk. "Yeah, congratulations Ziva." He grinned.

Gibbs had been listening to this whole exchange. He loved the easy way his team interacted with each other. They were like one happy family, really. They helped Gibbs deal with his loss.

He stepped into the midst of them all. "Hate to break up this happy gathering –"

"No you don't," mumbled Tony. Gibbs smacked the back of his head.

"I deserved that," he said, wincing. Gibbs nodded.

"– but we have a case," he continued, looking at them all. "Grab your gear and let's go."

Gibbs left as swiftly as he'd come.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Ziva, grabbing her NCIS suit. McGee and Tony followed suit.

The team walked into the elevator after their boss.

* * *

_Flash_. McGee shielded his eyes with his hand as Tony grinned, pointing the camera at him. "Can you not, Tony? We're in the middle of a case," he protested.

"You look good, McGee," Ziva observed, checking the photo over Tony's shoulder. "The sunlight reflects nicely on your hair."

Tony and McGee shared a glance. "Um thanks, Ziva," said McGee awkwardly, taking a photo of the abandoned knife. Why someone would leave behind evidence was anyone's guess. Perhaps they panicked? Perhaps it was a first murder?

Doctor Donald Mallard and his assistant Jim Palmer crouched beside the body. Ducky was busy estimating the TOD, with Jimmy watching intently. "Got a time yet, Doc?" he asked jokingly.

Ducky raised his head. "Patience, Mr. Palmer, and all will be revealed," he said, as the instrument in his hand gave a little beep.

"Ah-ha," he said, raising it. "According to this, the time of death was approximately eleven hours ago," he said surely. Jimmy nodded and left to inform Ziva, McGee and Tony.

Gibbs crouched beside Ducky. "11 hours, huh Duck?" he asked. Ducky nodded.

"I was speaking with the other occupants of this ship," informed Gibbs. "They said they couldn't hear a thing outside because they had a party going on."

Ducky looked at the man sympathetically. "And that party cost this poor man his life," he said sadly, staring at the face contorted into an expression of horror. The blood had run from his throat, coloring his uniform.

A distraught woman ran toward the team. Her face was tear-streaked and she looked rather disheveled.

"Can we help you?" asked Tony, eyeing the woman up and down. He caught Ziva staring at him disapprovingly and he grinned.

A fresh wave of tears cascaded down her pale cheeks. "Oh, just f-find his killer for me!" she sobbed. "I d-don't want his killer out-out there."

McGee looked at the woman kindly. "We'll do our best," he assured her.

"Th-thank you," she said weakly, wiping her eyes and running back inside.

"We better be getting back," said Gibbs' gruff voice from behind them. "Abbs'll want to see what we've got, and Ducky wants to do his autopsy."

* * *

Ducky stared at the DNA results in front of him, puzzled. It couldn't be right. This was impossible. It went against the very laws of nature. A creature like this shouldn't exist.

"Everything alright, Doctor?" asked Jimmy, removing his autopsy gloves and washing his hands. The case had been exactly how it had looked. Nothing too dramatic.

"Yes yes, Mr. Palmer. I'm alright. Would you mind fetching Jethro for me?" he asked, unable to look away from the results in front of him. "I have a feeling he will want to know what we have found out."

He vaguely heard the door creak as Jimmy stepped away. Two sets of footsteps returned shortly after. Jimmy, followed by Gibbs, entered swiftly, Gibbs striding over to the autopsy table where Ducky was currently at.

"Duck? What've you got?" asked Gibbs bluntly.

Ducky finally looked away from the white piece of paper and ran his finger over the scratch on the throat. "The cause of death was quite simple, Jethro. Running the knife along the throat slices the carotid artery and the windpipe, and the victim dies either of lack of oxygen or loss of blood."

Gibbs nodded. "Thanks Duck." He made to leave but Ducky stopped him.

"However, that's not why I called you here. You see, these results are rather strange. The all seem to point in one direction, but that would be impossible."

Gibbs grunted impatiently. "Spit it out, Duck."

Ducky's brow creased in concentration. "What I'm trying to tell you is that this person, this _thing_, is not human."

* * *

Abby was amazed at the carelessness of the murderer. It appeared that they hadn't even bothered to wear gloves, and had left behind the bloody knife with fingerprints _all_ over it. It was as if the murdered _wanted_ to be found, but that was stupid, because no two people shared a fingerprint.

McGee was currently sitting opposite her, watching her intently as she prepared the fingerprints to be put into the machine for recognition. At last, they were ready. Her face tensed in anticipation as she put the prints through the system and waited for a match.

McGee stared at the screen with her as it flashed through hundreds, then thousands of faces. He frowned. It was taking a lot longer than usual to find a culprit.

When the database finally came up with no match, Abby pounded the table in frustration. "Why won't this damn thing work?" she complained.

"Maybe we're just looking in the wrong range," McGee suggested. He was annoyed too.

Abby _humph_ed and extended the range from three states to the whole of the USA. "We can't miss the murderer now," she grumbled, staring impatiently at the screen.

Finally, the screen stopped on a face, and Abby wished it hadn't. The familiar face stared at her through the screen. Her breath shortened and her eyes widened. It couldn't be.

"Abby?" McGee asked tentatively. He'd never seen Abby react like this to a match.

"Find – Gibbs," she panted, her eyes never leaving the screen. McGee, concerned, went to find Gibbs.

Gibbs hurriedly followed McGee to Abby's lab, seeing Abby in the hyperventilating state that McGee had described. He was by her side in a flash.

"Abbs? Who's that?" he asked, immediately linking the face to her troubling reaction. Abby didn't respond but continued to pant.

Gibbs considered getting Ducky but promptly dismissed that suggestion. "Abbs," he said again, shaking her shoulders.

She finally tore her eyes away from the screen and focused on Gibbs' face, but she still wore that wide-eyed, panicked expression.

"Who. Was. It?" Gibbs asked again, his voice gentle but firm.

Abby stared at the two and calmed down a little bit. "Rose," she murmured. "Rose Hathaway."

* * *

**[A/N]** Gasp! Why does Abby recognise Rose? And I bet you weren't expecting the machine to show that answer (sarcasm).

But, tell me what you think, guys! And readers of You Did WHAT? - the next chappie is coming, bear with me :)

Luv u ppl ;)


	2. Guilty

**[A/N] **Hello :) Wow, I didn't expect for anyone to be reading this, so thank you. And yes, I am one of those geeky authors who check their traffic to see whether their stories are being read...LOVE YOU ALL

A quick shoutout to Princess Steffany, who alerted and reviewed this story. You're amazing, Steff :)

This chapter is pretty short because I thought this was an ideal ending and I didn't know how to continue it, so bear with me. Enjoy:

* * *

Rose sat in Stan's class, spacing out as usual. She toyed with the idea of slipping into Lissa's head for something to do, but dismissed it. Lissa wouldn't like it.

"Rose, how do you knock someone out?" Stan asked, suddenly appearing beside her desk. She sighed. They were revisiting the basics again – I mean, this was stuff they had learned in sophomore year.

"Well, there are three methods," she said blandly. "Method one – an upwards strike to the middle of the chin. Method two – karate chop the neck."

Lots of giggles echoed throughout the classroom because of her terminology. Eddie, her best dhampir friend, caught her eye and winked. _Nice_, he mouthed.

She grinned and stood up. "Method three – use your middle finger and index finger to stab them in the neck." She brought her fingers to the dent between Stan's collarbones. "Want me to demonstrate?" she whispered slowly, applying soft pressure to his neck. Stan gulped.

The rest of the glass erupted into fits of laughter, causing Stan's face to go from pale and frightened to red and angry within a matter of seconds.

"Miss Hathaway, that is highly inappropriate," he spat, forcing her fingers off him. She shrugged and sat back down. Stan's eyes widened. "Apologize," he shrieked at her, embarrassed.

She lifted her chin defiantly. "And what if I say no?"

The class held their breath. Sure, people liked to piss Stan off – but no one had ever gone this far. Except for Rose Hathaway, of course.

Stan's face started to turn purplish, and a vein bulged. "Then I will send you to –"

A knock at the door interrupted his angry yell. Muttering about 'horrible timing,' he opened the door. Dimitri stood there, his guardian mask firmly in place. If it wasn't there, he'd be on the floor laughing. He'd heard the whole thing.

"Guardian Belikov," said Stan, surprised. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

He looked over Stan's shoulder and caught Rose's eye. She winked. "I'm here to collect Rose. Ellen wants to see her."

Stan smirked and turned to Rose. "Well then, Hathaway, I see you're getting your punishment anyway." He turned back to Dimitri. "You can have her," he said casually, flicking his fingers to indicate that she should leave.

Eddie caught Rose's eye worriedly. What trouble had she gotten into this time? Rose understood his glance and shrugged. _It's okay_, she mouthed. His tensed face didn't ease up.

Rose gathered her belongings and followed Dimitri out the door. Once they were out of earshot, Dimitri spoke. "You really shouldn't have egged Stan on like that," he said, his words disapproving but his tone light.

She punched his shoulder playfully. "Oh shut up, Comrade. It was fun," she said, a grin firmly on her face. Being around Dimitri always did this to her.

He shook his head. "I'll never understand your version of fun, Roza," he said, causing her heart to do little flips. He had called her Roza! In public!

"You know," she said seductively, trailing her fingers up his arm, "there's no one around to –"

She didn't get to finish her sentence before Dimitri's lips were on hers hungrily. Ever since the cabin, he had been a lot more open with her, and she loved it. She dropped her stationery and wrapped her arms around his neck, nestling his fingers in his silky brown hair. He responded with a growl and pushed her against the wall, bringing his hands down her sides and resting them on the curves of her hips. She wrapped his legs around his waist, losing herself in the kiss.

The faint sound of a door slamming caused them to jump apart, their hair and clothes all messed up. They chuckled at the sight of each other. They were both still slightly breathless. At last, Dimitri resumed walking and Rose picked up her stuff and followed.

"Headmistress Kirova's going to wonder what took us so long," he murmured, his thought still slightly scattered.

She smirked. "Yeah, well, she can deal. Tell her I was reluctant or something."

He chuckled and they noticed that they had reached Kirova's door. Dimitri knocked politely while Rose rolled her eyes. He was always so nicely mannered. She would have just barged through there.

"Come in," called Kirova from the other side. Dimitri pushed the door open and Rose cringed. Lissa, Adrian and _her mother_ all stood in the room. They were all looking at her expectantly.

"You finally showed up," said Kirova impatiently. "Sit down, Rose." She gestured to the uncomfortable chairs in front of her desk. She shrugged and sat down.

"So," she said nonchalantly, "why am I here?"

Kirova narrowed her eyes. "We were hoping you could answer that question, Miss Hathaway."

Rose's casual expression was replaced with one of surprise. "Huh?"

"I hope this isn't the usual," said Janine, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. She checked her watch. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I really need to be somewhere else."

Kirova fixed Rose with a penetrating stare. "Are you _sure_ you don't know why you're here? You _sure_ you haven't done anything wrong within the last few days?"

Rose stood up angrily. "If I'd done something wrong, don't you think I'd own up to it?" she snapped. Dimitri's hand was on her wrist in a flash, murmuring to her to sit down. Lissa was also telling her to calm down through the bond. She sat down, unashamed at her outburst.

Adrian spoke up. "I don't know why Lissa and I are here though," he said, eyeing Dimitri who was still holding Rose's wrist. "I mean, wasn't it _Rose's_ problem? Not ours? Not that we don't love you, little dhampir." He grinned.

Kirova sighed. "I assumed that you both had played a part in this, seeing as you're all so close to her. And seeing as you, Lord Ivashkov, have access to happenings outside of her school, you seemed likely to be involved.

"Just spit it out already," Rose protested. "Tell me why we're all here."

Kirova shot her a weary glance and lifted her phone. "This."

They all rolled their eyes. "We were all called here because of a _phone_?" Adrian asked, shaking his head.

Kirova glared. "No, we're here because of what's _on_ the phone," she said, highlighting a text. "This is from the NCIS department in Washington, D.C."

"Washington?" asked Lissa, incredulous. "Do they think that Rose could have gotten there and back within a few days without anyone noticing?"

Dimitri would have spoken up and told them Rose had been nowhere, because she was in class during the day and he was in her room at night, but that wouldn't have gone down with them very well. _Especially_ as Janine was in the room.

"NCIS?" asked Janine. "I doubt that Rose could have gotten involved with federal agents."

"This seems to say otherwise," said Kirova. She showed them all the text.

_Bring Rose Hathaway to us. Immediately._

_

* * *

_

**[A/N]** Doesn't that sound dramatic? I wanted to do this chappie in Rose's POV but I thought it might be a bit hard if it was in RPOV to write the NCIS bits, so I left it in 3rd person. I hope everyone was IC. And did you enjoy the little RxD moment? I know I did XD

Next chappie up soon guys. Peace ^^


	3. Heartfelt Encounters

**[A/N]** Hey guys, look who _finally_ returned to this story. It's been an awfully long 4 months, and so I decided to make it up to you guys by...*dramatic pause*...giving you a pointless chappie filled with fluff. Hooray! *sarcasm*

This is kinda like a little marshmallowy treat before we get to the real drama...and there will be a _lot_ of drama. Just sayin'

I really love all my fans, so here are some shoutouts to you people that truly deserve it :)

~shoutouts~

Princess Steffany, pinkemotwilghtlover, RozaIvashkov1452, Warriorsqueen, GBugg, ladyyuuki16, DhampireRose, Veroniiee, crazyjn121, MissHathaway, breanna826, frozenhurricane, Ananta, xoxdreamrrxox, _anonymous_, Marie Elaine Cullen, VampKnightlvr94, vampiregirlxoxo and RougeOlympian

Thanks you guys, I really appreciate the support and stuff :)

disclaimer-which-i-have-forgotten-in-the-previous-chappies-sorry: If I owned VA and NCIS, there would be a character called Kat who looks and acts exactly like me in both places. Seeing as there isn't, well, you can put the pieces together :P

* * *

Rose stared at the phone, unable to comprehend what she saw. NCIS wanted her. And not just any NCIS, but the one in Washington. The one on the other side of America. How did they assume she was responsible?

"That makes no sense," she spluttered out after several agonizing seconds. Kirova and Janine had pierced her with a glare, determined to find out the truth, whereas Lissa and Adrian had been shocked and Dimitri had just been sad.

Kirova pursed her lips. "Miss Hathaway, you are being formally requested by federal agents," she pointed out. "What have you done?"

Rose closed her eyes, feeling calming feelings coming from the bond. "I didn't do anything," she repeated through gritted teeth. "Why can't you believe me this once?"

Kirova's lips twisted into a grim smile. "Your history does not exactly boast an open, trustworthy attitude," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"How will she be getting there?" interrupted Lissa. The only thoughts swirling around in her head were those regarding a method to prove that Rose was innocent, to prove that Rose had nothing to do with whatever crime scene they threw at her.

Rose felt these thoughts through the bond and gave Lissa a grateful smile. She was glad to have such a wonderful, caring best friend.

Kirova narrowed her eyes. "She'll be getting there by the Academy's private jet, as is standard practice," she said.

Rose, Dimitri, Lissa and Adrian flinched. Rose didn't want to go through that headache again. She had to learn to keep her mental walls up properly.

"Who can I take with me?" she asked, flicking her hair out of her face.

"You are allowed to take one person who is not a student," answered Kirova, and Lissa's face fell visibly. Rose, however, was excited about taking Dimitri with her. They could be together far from prying eyes, behaving just like a normal couple.

"I'll go," Dimitri offered, acting completely professional. The truth was he was _very_ excited about spending time with his Roza.

Lissa's mood lightened up as she thought of Rose's mentor going with her to keep her out of trouble. Janine also thought it was a good way to control Rose.

Adrian smirked knowingly and winked at Rose and Dimitri. On the inside, however, he felt really jealous and quite sad. Even though he knew Rose would accept Dimitri's offer (as would everyone else), a small, irrational part of him wished to go.

Kirova contemplated Dimitri going. "That's a good idea, Guardian Belikov. I'm sure you'll be able to keep a watch on Rose and keep her out of any sort of trouble."

Adrian sniggered before he could stop himself, and Kirova and Janine looked at him in disgust. "What?" he asked defensively. "I'm drunk, for God's sake. And I think Dimitri –"

"Guardian Belikov," corrected Janine, looking at Adrian disapprovingly. Honestly, she couldn't believe the fact that this imbecile was a friend of Rose's. She could only see the immature, irresponsible party-boy whom everyone made him out to be.

He rolled his eyes. "Guardian Belikov, whatever. I just think he should go with Rose."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow at Adrian's selflessness. He knew that the boy held lingering feelings for his Roza. Adrian looked at him in a way that suggested he was conceding defeat for the moment.

"I second that," said Lissa brightly. Adrian raised an eyebrow and shrugged. Lissa obviously didn't understand why they wanted to stay together. She thought he was the logical choice because he was a guardian. "Dimitri could also be like an official person there, so that people would trust what he had to say."

"If his judgment wasn't screwed up because of Rose," muttered Adrian grumpily. Dimitri's sharp glare showed that he had heard, but luckily no one else had.

Janine sighed. She couldn't believe that Rose was already involved with the federal agents at the young age of 17. Guardians in the field had run-ins with them all the time because they forgot to contact the Alchemists, but Rose didn't have this problem. "I think Guardian Belikov should be going with Rose, and seeing as she's my daughter, I think I have the final say."

Rose shot her mother an ecstatic grin before she could help it, and her mother looked incredulous. Rose flipped her hair arrogantly. "Better than it being you," she quipped, covering up her feelings with attitude.

Janine rolled her eyes. Rose would be Rose, she supposed.

Kirova looked thoughtful. "Well, I presume that Miss Hathaway and Guardian Belikov are to go to Washington, then." A glance passed between the said people, conveying their excitement. "Guardian Belikov is also to remain in Washington for the duration of Miss Hathaway's stay."

Rose held her smile in with great effort. She was going to spend time in _Washington_, far, _far_, away from other dhampirs and Moroi, with her Russian God. She didn't think Kirova could give her a better "punishment."

"However, if Miss Hathaway is sentenced to any form of punishment, Guardian Belikov returns to St. Vladimir's," continued Kirova. The mood in the room turned grim at the mention of a punishment for Rose.

"You may all leave," said Kirova, gesturing to the door. They all turned to leave. "Oh, and, Miss Hathaway? You will pack and leave as soon as possible on the Academy's private jet. We will be arranging accommodation."

"Whatever," said Rose, tossing her hair on the way out, Dimitri hot on her heels. This was going to be the best trip ever.

* * *

Dimitri and Rose stood on the airstrip, waiting for the pilot to confirm their departure. Rose was saying goodbye to all her friends. Now that she was truly leaving, she wondered whether she'd ever see them again.

A wet person launched herself into Rose's arms. "Rose," she screeched, tears leaking from her jade green eyes and her platinum hair all ruffled. "I'll miss you, so, so much," she sniffed.

Rose stroked her hair. "Lissa, seriously, I'll be back," she promised, but she wondered who she was trying to convince…Lissa, or herself?

"B-but what if you d-don't-t," Lissa choked out, Christian coming up behind her and patting her shoulder awkwardly.

"I will," she said fiercely, as if saying the words could make them true.

Dimitri stepped forward. "Princess," he said slowly, "I will make sure Rose comes back," he said. Lissa brightened.

"Thank you!" she squealed, catching Dimitri off-guard by hugging him tightly. He looked surprised, but gently patted her back. Rose looked on, amused.

Christian stepped forward next, clasping Rose's forearms. "I-I hope you come back," he said uncomfortably. "For Lissa's sake."

Rose snorted. "Come here, Christian," she said, inviting him for a hug. He gladly accepted. "And yes, I _know_ you'll miss me," she added cockily, causing him to laugh.

"If it helps you sleep at night, Rosie Posie," he teased.

She growled playfully. "What did you call me?"

He winked. "See you soon, Rosie Posie."

Dimitri chuckled once he was out of earshot. "He's just asking for it, isn't he?"

Rose sighed. "Yeah, he is."

Eddie grabbed Rose, jumping around with her in circles. "I'm gonna miss my little sister so much," he said.

Rose's eyes lit up at the words "little sister." "Oh Eddie, I'll miss you too," she said sadly, standing still and giving him the biggest hug.

Eddie pulled away from Rose, stroking her cheek in a brotherly way. "Enjoy yourself, Rosie," he said, shooting her a grin.

He then turned to Dimitri, glaring protectively. "Take care of my little sister, or else," he said fiercely.

Dimitri nodded solemnly. "I will," he said truthfully.

Satisfied, Eddie pulled away. "Love you, Rose," he called as he returned to the mob.

"Love you too, Eddie," she called at his retreating back.

Last of all, Adrian sauntered out to meet them, a half-empty bottle of vodka clutched in his hand. Dimitri rolled his eyes at his drunken appearance. Honestly, couldn't the boy stay sober for a day?

Rose, however, had no such qualms. "Adrian!" she called excitedly, giving him a hug. He lazily gave her a one-armed hug back, winking at Dimitri. Dimitri clenched his fists, the only sign that he was struggling to hold back his jealousy and anger.

"I'll miss you, Little Dhampir," he said, taking a swig from the bottle in his hands. Rose groaned and yanked the bottle away, causing him to pout. "Rosie, give my baby back," he slurred, reaching clumsily.

She moved it out of his reach. "Ass. You know this shit isn't good for you." She tipped the bottle upside down, the clear liquid tumbling to the ground.

Adrian squealed and, in a burst of energy, managed to knock the bottle out of Rose's hands. It went flying and hit Kirova in the head with a loud _thunk_. Rose and Adrian collapsed into laughter, giving each other a high-five. Kirova grumbled angrily, and Dimitri struggled to hold back a smile. He gave Rose the most disapproving, mentor-y look he could manage, but she just stuck her tongue out at him.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I'll miss you too, dipthong," said Rose, flicking him on the forehead.

He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. "I'll visit you in your dreams, Little Dhampir." Then, to no one in particular, he murmured, "If you get any sleep."

Rose, understanding what that meant, smacked him on the back of his head. "Ass," she muttered under her breath.

Adrian winked at her and Dimitri. "Keep her safe, Belikov," he warned, swaying slightly.

Dimitri nodded tightly. "I will, Ivashkov."

Adrian pointed a finger. "That's _Lord_ Ivashkov to you, bitch," he said drunkenly.

Rose rolled her eyes and pushed him onto Christian, who was waiting for them at the front of the mob. "He's your responsibility now, Pyro," she said proudly. He flipped her off.

The pilot emerged from the plane. "Guardian Belikov, Miss Hathaway," he began, "the plane is ready for you to board."

Dimitri and Rose nodded solemnly and turned to board the plane. Just before she stepped on the plane, though, someone grabbed Rose's arm. Rose turned into the uncomfortable face of her mother.

She did a double take. "Mom?" she asked, wondering what the hell her mother was doing here.

Janine sighed. "Rose, I know I haven't been the best parent, but…" she paused, her brow scrunching up in frustration as she debated how to put her feelings into words. "I'll, um, miss you."

Rose was surprised, letting her shock take over her face. "I'll, um, miss you too, I guess," said Rose awkwardly, playing with a lock of her hair.

_Oh, what the hell_, Janine thought, wrapping her arms around her daughter for the first time in fourteen years. Rose was shocked but glad that her mother was finally showing a hint of the affection she always desired.

"Take care, Rosemarie," said Janine, letting her fingers rest on Rose's cheek for a few seconds. She then turned to Dimitri.

"If any harm befalls my daughter, and I mean _any_, then you can kiss your sorry ass goodbye," she growled threateningly, looking just about ready to punch Dimitri in the face.

It was an almost comical sight to see the 4'9" Janine Hathaway threaten the 6'7" Dimitri Belikov. But he stood his ground, and looked her in the eye. "I'll keep her safe, Guardian Hathaway," he vowed, knowing he was promising this to himself as well.

"Oh, you had better," she warned, stepping away from them so that they could board the plane. "Bye, honey," she called to Rose, waving.

Rose smiled, thankful that her mother had finally come through for her. "Bye, mom."

Once within the confines of the aircraft, Rose peered out of the window. She saw all of her little gang standing outside, waving erratically. Mia stepped out from behind Eddie, and he put an arm around her. _Interesting_, thought Rose to herself.

"_Please fasten your seatbelts_," came the recorded voice on the plane. Rose and Dimitri strapped themselves in, Rose still looking out of the window. The plane left the airstrip with a loud _whoosh_, and soon Rose couldn't see St. Vladimir's Academy anymore amidst the green of the Montana forest.

She knew what was to come, and so did Dimitri. She struggled to put up her mental barriers, already beginning to feel the pounding headache and see the ghostly black shapes. Just before her mental barriers were fully up, a thought of Lissa's floated through the bond.

_I love you, Rose_.

* * *

**[A/N]** See? Total fluffy marshmallowy shit. I warned youuuu :P

Anyway, next chapter will come, sometime. And it will be a hell of a chapter, where some secrets _may_ be revealed...

xx  
kat

ps. I'm not gonna abandon this story, but updates _will_ be irregular and choppy. This is the story I'm writing right now when I'm bored, but You Did WHAT? is my main priority now, so yeah. Bear with my awesomeness XD


	4. Murderer

**[A/N]** I don't really have much to say, but I'm sorry. Will you forgive me for such a long waiting time? *puss-in-boots eyes* Pwease?

This chapter is a bit longer than the other ones to make up for the update time :P

Thanks to all my reviewers, favouriters and alerters. I (lessthanthree) you ;)

~shoutouts~

ladyyuuki16, XxAlonexX, GBugg, V. A. Lover KaiiKaii Luv, princess roza, Little Miss Evil, vampirewolf98, rls66, ButterscotchAngelP, Serpente Shetan, Gaurdians-Rayne-Mayne, Ms. Withlock-Northman-Salvatore, Rachel-rob-Sandwich, jessted, HopeWithTheBlueMoon, unicorns 4 lyf, Mehan-Smith, SatayCullen and RandomnessQueen1

Thanks, guys. Enjoy:

* * *

Abby headed up to the main room, with Gibbs and McGee hot on her heels. She couldn't believe it. How could it be Rose? It just didn't seem to be in her character! Sure, she was wild, impulsive, reckless and loved to disobey authority, but murder seemed a bit _too far_ for her.

Once upstairs, Ziva greeted them. "Did you find a match for the fingerprints?"

Gibbs nodded. "Someone named Rose Hathaway."

McGee brought up a picture of her on the monitor. Tony couldn't help but stare. "She's hot," he said bluntly, grinning. Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Well, she is," he protested.

Ziva stared at him, an unfamiliar feeling stirring in her mind. She pushed it away. They had a murderer to catch.

"McGee," barked Gibbs. "Suspect background information, please."

McGee furiously typed on his keyboard, looking through various files. "Her full name is Rosemarie Hathaway. She's seventeen, soon to turn eighteen. She currently attends St. Vladimir's Academy in Montana, but ran away from school with Vasilisa Dragomir for two years, before being found and returned to the Academy."

Abby's eyes widened. So she _had_ been taken back to the Academy after all.

"Dinozzo. Send –"

"– a text to the Academy. On it, boss," Dinozzo finished, whipping out a phone and quickly typing in a text message.

While waiting for a reply from the school, Gibbs steered Abby aside. "How did you know who she was?" he asked.

She looked down. "I can't say."

"Abbs." Gibbs' voice had a dangerous edge to it, a warning.

"I can't tell you," she repeated. "Look, I'm pretty sure I can explain it when she arrives, but not right now."

Gibbs sighed. "If it was anyone other than you, I'd probably have smacked the back of your head right now," he said, a smile playing on his lips.

She grinned. "Well then, aren't I glad I'm me?"

"Boss, we've got a reply," came Dinozzo's voice. Gibbs and Abby returned to the rest of the team.

"What's it say?" Gibbs questioned gruffly.

"_Rose Hathaway is on her way with her mentor, as she is a minor and needs an adult to go with her. She is flying to Ronald Reagan airport and will need to be picked up from there in about three-and-a-half hours,_" Dinozzo read.

"What, do they think we're a chauffeur service?" growled Gibbs. He pointed a finger. "Dinozzo, you're picking her up."

Dinozzo fist-pumped the air, a grin on his face. He swiped McGee's keys off his desk stealthily (the nerd was too busy sifting through the many files on Hathaway) and made his way to the lift.

Just as the doors were closing, Abby gave him a knowing smile. "Hit on her, and I swear I'll break your neck."

* * *

"_Please fasten your seatbelts. We will be landing in another ten minutes_."

Rose woke up to the automated voice ringing through the plane. She sat up groggily, knocking a leather duster to the floor in the process.

Dimitri was next to her, talking animatedly into the phone that the plane provided. She waited for him to finish, entertaining herself with a fantasy of a chocolate glazed donut. Her stomach rumbled at the thought.

His velvety chuckle wrapped around her like a caress. "Hello, Roza."

"Hey Comrade," she slurred sleepily. She noticed he was off the phone. "Who was that?"

"A group of Moroi that live in Washington. They specialize in putting up wards, so I instructed them to put wards around the NCIS base and the hotel we're staying at."

She frowned. "There are companies that do that?"

"How else would the Moroi living in the human world get wards placed around their homes?"

She shrugged, noticing another important thing. "I slept through the entire flight?"

He nodded. "It must have been a subconscious reaction to the ghosts trying to break through your mental barrier. Keeping that up must have been exhausting."

She rubbed her eyes, yawning. "I'm hungry." Her stomach rumbled again as if to endorse her words.

He raised an eyebrow. "When are you not?"

She punched him on the shoulder playfully, ignoring his teasing. "Do you have any food?"

He nodded, and reached down to pick up his duster. He pulled a chocolate donut out of the pocket.

She grinned, and took the donut. "Thanks, Comrade," she mumbled, her mouth already full. "You're the best."

He shook his head at her eagerness to eat, and went back to reading his Western novel.

"_Welcome to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The temperature outside is twenty-seven degrees Fahrenheit and the local time is five-thirty p.m. We hope you have a pleasant time in Washington, D.C."_

Rose struggled to keep her mental barriers in place. The pain was excruciating. She couldn't wait to get into the wards and relieve her headache.

Dimitri looked at her in concern, and managed to get them out of the plane and into the airport as soon as possible. They'd had to land in the public airport because of the fact that the NCIS base didn't have one, but they were to be picked up from the airport by an NCIS agent and driven to the base.

Dimitri and Rose made their way through the busy airport, following the signs. At last, they found themselves at the arrival hall.

Rose scanned the various boards with names written on them, and hers stood out from the crowd. She tugged on Dimitri's arm, and the two of them made their way over to the NCIS agent holding the board.

"Rose Hathaway?"

She nodded. "This is Dimitri Belikov. He's a friend of mine and is to accompany me to the base," she explained, gesturing to him.

"Really?" asked the agent. "Because I'm pretty sure he's your mentor."

Rose did a double take. "How did you – Kirova. Of course."

The agent laughed. "Any particular reason why you referred to him as a friend?"

Rose shrugged, hiding her feelings with indifference. "It's easier. We don't exactly interact as a mentor and student."

"Follow me," said the agent. He led them out of the mingling crowd, flashing his badge occasionally to help clear the way.

He took them around to the back of the parking lot, leading them to a grayish silver Porsche Boxster. Rose let out a low whistle. "Nice car. Is it yours?"

He grinned. "Nope. Borrowed it from another agent in our team."

Rose picked up on his tone. "And by 'borrowed', you mean 'took without permission.'"

He shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "He won't mind."

He opened the boot, and Dimitri placed the bags inside. The agent climbed into the driver's seat, and Rose and Dimitri climbed into the back together.

"I'm sorry, but we never got your name," said Dimitri politely. Rose rolled her eyes. Honestly, sometimes he was just way too nice.

He grinned. "I'm Special Agent Tony Dinozzo."

* * *

Dinozzo pulled into the employee car park, making sure to park the car exactly where he got it out from.

Rose got out of the car and stretched her legs. "Ugh. I've been sitting down for way too long."

Dimitri got out gracefully, chuckling at his Roza's strange behavior.

"Follow me," said Dinozzo. Once they reached the reception, he notified them that they needed visitor badges with photos.

Rose groaned. "Does my hair look okay, Comrade?"

His eyes danced mischievously. "Of course, Rose."

"This way, please," announced the photographer. She led them into a bare white room. "No poses, no funny faces, no smiles," she ordered.

Dimitri went first, and had his photo taken in a heartbeat. Following the restrictions set by the photographer wasn't hard. He wasn't the type of person to do any of that in photos, anyway.

Rose, on the other hand, was always pulling a face or funny pose in her photos. She just couldn't help herself. Every photo she'd burst out laughing because of her attempt to keep a straight face. The photographer had already snapped seven photos, and was obviously getting pissed off about Rose's unprofessionalism.

Dinozzo's phone began to ring. "Boss?" he answered.

"_What's taking you so long, Dinozzo?_" barked Gibbs on the other end of the line.

"Ah, we're in the building, Boss."

"_So why aren't you down in the offices?_"

"Hathaway is having her visitor's photo taken."

"_And?_"

"And, well, she's having trouble keeping a straight face, Boss."

He could almost hear Gibbs rolling his eyes on the other end of the line. "_Just get her up here, Dinozzo_." The call abruptly cut off.

"Excuse me," called Dinozzo to the photographer. "Gibbs wants us upstairs."

"I haven't taken the photo," she protested.

"We'll be here for the rest of the day if Rose keeps doing _that_," Dinozzo pointed out, referring to Rose's hideously hilarious grimace that she called a "straight face."

The photographer rolled her eyes. "Here," she said, pushing Rose off the set. "Take her." And she practically threw the passes at Dinozzo.

Rose was laughing uncontrollably in the lift, while Dimitri sighed exasperatedly. "Rose, behave yourself," he warned, nudging her arm.

"But the photos – so funny – her face," she collapsed into unintelligible snickers again. Dimitri muttered something in Russian that didn't sound very complementary.

"Here we are," said Dinozzo with a flourish as the lift doors opened.

"Fancy," commented Rose, her hysterics dying down the moment she was out of the lift.

The trio walked over to where McGee and Ziva were standing at the former's desk, eyeing Dimitri and Rose with curiosity.

"She doesn't look like a killer," McGee commented softly.

"They never do," Ziva whispered back.

Rose and Dimitri could pick up what they were saying, due to their enhanced hearing. Rose looked at Dimitri in shock. "They think I've _killed_ someone?" she whispered to him, too quiet for any human ears to detect.

"They're wrong, Roza," he assured her, just as quietly.

Gibbs strode out of the director's office. Catching sight of Rose and Dimitri, he frowned. "Why isn't she in handcuffs, Dinozzo?" he grumbled.

Rose cocked her head. "Look, I don't even know why I'm here, okay," she voiced, speaking out for the first time.

"You didn't tell her." Gibbs said flatly, completely ignoring her. Dinozzo lowered his head.

"Hey! I'm right here. And I don't appreciate being ignored," Rose commented.

"Rose," Dimitri warned, grabbing a hold of her arm.

Ziva and McGee watched in amusement. Convicting a killer was never funny, but something about this girl captured their interest.

Gibbs brought out the handcuffs and moved over to Rose, but she raced away from him. She was standing on the stairs when he turned around.

"I have a right to _know_ what I'm being arrested for," she hissed, the darkness taking over once more. She was confused and angry and stressed, and the fact that Lissa was practicing magic didn't help.

Dimitri was quick to realize this. "Rose, snap out of it. This isn't you," he said firmly, walking over to her and pinning her arms behind her.

"Let me go," she spat, trying to kick him. He was too fast, though, and easily dodged her attempts while still maintaining a firm hold on her.

He leant down to whisper in her ear. "_Roza_," he stressed. "_This isn't you_. Please, calm down."

She gathered strength from hearing the love and dedication in his voice and fought off the darkness as she had before in the cabin. As it escaped her body, she trembled. Dimitri stopped restraining her arms and gave her a comforting hug, and they both returned downstairs.

The NCIS field agents were in shock. What kind of normal mentor and student would have such a personal relationship?

"See why I referred to him as a friend?" Rose said with a shaky laugh.

"Is that a normal occurrence?" asked Ziva.

"It-it has been," Rose acknowledged. She could see the searching looks on everyone's faces, and she had to remember that she wasn't around members of her society anymore. She couldn't afford to lose control with the darkness like that again.

"So, why am I here, again?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Gibbs raised the handcuffs again, but made no move toward her. He knew it was the handcuffs that set her off last time; he wasn't stupid. "Miss Hathaway," he began, "you are under arrest for the murder of Petty Officer John Mastrano."

Rose stood still in shock. No. It couldn't be. Petty Officer John Mastrano had to be Jill's father. But she couldn't have killed Jill's father. She was at the Academy the whole time.

Gibbs deemed her safe enough to put the handcuffs on now, and she didn't oppose. He led her toward the interrogation rooms, the rest of the team following.

"You can come with us, you know," Ziva offered to Dimitri, who had been standing there slightly openmouthed at the thought of _his Roza_ being arrested for murder.

He shook his head. "Yeah," he said, his mouth feeling dry.

As they passed the forensics lab, Rose caught sight of a familiar head of black hair parted into two ponytails. It couldn't be _Abby_, could it? No. She shook her head. She must have been imagining things.

* * *

**[A/N]** Mwahahahahaha. I know you all wanted a Rose/Abby reunion, but I figured I'd just keep you guys waiting. And _why does_ Abby know Rose? I'd like to hear your theories.

Although, I didn't actually like the ending...but I couldn't think of anything else.

I'm on holidays right now, so updates SHOULD be coming more frequently. Besides, my goal is to finish this and YDW? by the end of the summer holidays because, next year, I'm going to a science school, and I'm thinking that I'll be more busy. So yeah.

kat xx


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